With transfer deadlines cranking up the rumour mill, Mido throwing his shirt into the crowd as he left the field here on Saturday was inevitably seen as a farewell protest at his exclusion from the Middlesbrough starting line-up. Not so, said Gareth Southgate, who insisted that the Egyptian striker, who came on for the last 14 minutes, was not unhappy and rejected any suggestion that he would be leaving before the window closes tonight.

"I've no idea ... it's a good souvenir," said Southgate of the missing shirt. "We are not doing any business between now and the end of Monday. We felt the most important thing was to hang on to our best players, and that the size of the squad is just about right.

"That was the key for me, making sure the players we have got are with us. Lots of situations will settle down after Monday and it is good that everyone knows they are here because I want them here and because they have got a big part to play."

Mido, whose year on Teesside since his £6m departure from White Hart Lane has been marred by injury and weight issues, had scored three goals in as many games before Saturday, twice off the bench in the league and in the Carling Cup win over Yeovil, in which he played 90 minutes.

Southgate continued: "He feels that, having scored three goals in three games, he deserves to start. I can't argue with that too much, but my own feeling is that he got a couple of those goals because of the impact he made off the bench.

"He'll get his opportunity to start very soon. He's made his case and his attitude has been excellent. He's off to Egypt for their game in the Congo, and there's nothing for us to smooth over.

"There was a call from Steve Bruce, but it was all a bit tentative and dependent on other things happening. I made it very clear to Mido that I wanted him here. His performances have been excellent."

Against Stoke, Southgate opted for the forward pairing of the club-record £12.7m signing Afonso Alves and Tuncay Sanli, and their goals vindicated his selection. Boro are enjoying their best start to a season for nine years, but that was little balm to Mido.

His return to fitness and goal-scoring form have understandably increased his desire for regular football, but with Jérémie Aliadière and the summer signing Marvin Emnes also in the mix, Southgate has the situation he wants.

"There are several in the squad that are pushing for places and that competition is important," said the Boro manager. "The difficult thing at the moment is that, whoever you pick or leave out, or bring on or take off, it's the wrong thing. I suppose it is the right thing because people have got the goals and we have got the points.

"They have all got to be ready and they have all got to play their part. The season is a bit disjointed with all the international breaks at the moment, so for those who aren't getting a game it seems an even longer period. Once we get into October, November, that's when everybody will be getting their opportunities."

Mido has not been the only transfer target Southgate has had to fend off interest in, with an expectation that Liverpool would test his resolve to hang on to the England winger Stewart Downing.

Alves and Tuncay provided the goals against Stoke but both were also culpable of not securing their side an unassailable lead long before Tony Pulis' spirited 10-man City almost salvaged a point thanks to an own-goal equaliser by the home right-back Justin Hoyte, making his first league start for Boro since his £3m move from Arsenal, while Stoke's Danish goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen produced a series of fine saves before Tuncay's late winner.

The Brazil forward Alves had opened the scoring on 37 minutes with his first Premier League goal via a curled free-kick after Amdy Faye received a red card for a reckless two-footed lunge on Mido's compatriot, Mohamed Shawky.